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 Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:44 pm
Earlier On the Lake:
"Alvays from book, or before, from internet," Kostya replied, following her instructions and simply holding the line. "Spasiba-- ah, thank you, for teaching."
The water was quiet, tranquil, and everything he'd wanted from leave. Well, not everything, but close. The air of the island weighed heavy on his shoulders, even if it had been clear since that ugly tear in the sky.
"Not really. Social type. No uncles, no aunts. Parents both only child, am also."
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:46 pm
On the Lake:
She gave an exasperated sigh and opened her mouth to tell him to stop being melodramatic, she was the eighteen year old girl here, thank you. But right at that moment her thicker pole received a powerful tug, and she was standing up, whooping with pleasure as she fought and defeated a huge ol' catfish that was soon thrashing its last on a bed of ice.
"And that's how you do it, Red!" America crowed, hands on her hips.
It didn't take long for her to settle back down, though, and soon enough her focus was once again zeroed in him. "Now don't you go gettin all alarmed an stupid, about this, alright? I'm just seein if you maybe you are or could be receptive to Taym courtin you or whatever it is you do in Russia. Closing down and clamming up isn't an acceptable answer, you know. I'll just keep askin until you do us all a favour an be straight up about your feelings on the matter."
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:53 pm
Earlier on the Lake:
"Books are okay, I guess. I you like that sort of thing, but they can't really replace doin a thing for yourself." She frowned at the line in her hand and her eyes slid back to Kostya, "It's no problem. I don't...I don't mind, showin you how to do a thing or two. If you're curious an all. Only fair, since you've shown me all about repairin an such for the basement."
The information about his family left her quiet for a good long while, until she answered quietly, "Pa was the same when it came to bein social, sometimes you..." she let the word dangle in the air for a moment before dropping it. She didn't want the comparison to be there, even if it was suddenly difficult not to see. "You do well enough, I think."
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:42 am
On the Lake:
America's success was met with his variant of a smile-- a softened gaze, a tilt of the head, a smoothing of his brow. "Is big," he said, quietly, still very much unnerved by her question, "vill be much to eat."
It was only a matter of time until she was ready for discussion.
Kostya looked out onto the water, intensely focused on the tranquil surface as she began to talk.
"Obadiah is being a friend," he said, kind expression slipping into a cross between despair and agony. "Nothing else."
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:11 pm
Earlier on the Lake:
"If book describe very vell, can use as good ...start? But, da. Is not the same." He ducked his head self consciously. It was one thing to serve without question, because on one hand, she was The President (and all that it entailed, and all the order and rigidity that he sought, he could find in bits and pieces within her), but on the other, she was a just a girl, as he was just a boy.
Mimsy could be vulnerable, but not in the same way. America would need further analysis.
"English is veak spot," he said, "no choice but to speak like child. Much meaning lost, on two side. Thank you." For your patience. For trying.
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:06 pm
On the Lake:
She studied him for a good while, trying to pick up any bit of coyness under all the discomfort. In the end America just sighed and leaned back on her elbows, admitting to herself that if Kostya was interested at all in Taym, his reasons for not going there probably outweighed that interest. She knew the feeling.
"Well alright, then. I'll let him down gentle-like for you," because the man shouldn't be left to dangle, and Konstantin didn't seem up to the task. "Hmmm...text or in person..." she murmured mostly to herself.
America pulled out the phone that she'd had off and looked down at it in contemplation. She was sprawled across her pair of benches, one leg dangling over the side, toes tracing along the water as she brought the device up to glare at it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:46 pm
Earlier on the Lake
America hummed softly, a small frown crossing her features. "You don't sound like a child to me, you know." She slid her eyes over to him unhappily, "You sound like someone with secrets, like you're hidin the important bits in those gaps."
With a shrug, she turned her attention back to the water. "No matter, we do well enough."
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:07 pm
Cleaning Up
Standing under the cool, clear cascade of Gunther's shower, America luxuriated in a near vicious sense of clean and refreshed, even as she shivered in the outdoor stall. Nearby, Kostya was finishing up the fish, back pointedly turned, cleaning them up for the fry with enough efficiency for her to just leave him to it.
Finishing with her hair, the girl rested her head over the stall door, gaze on his back. "Where you planning to go for your second day?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:19 pm
Earlier on the Lake:
Surprise wasn't a common expression he wore, but it written on his face now. He struggled to find a response, carding through his mind for something, anything.
All he had was a sort of affection that creeper around his heart, and he wondered if this was what it felt like to have a sister.
He settled on: "Secrets? No, am not... Ah. If you vish to know, vill tell anything. But in truth, have not many at all."
He wasn't much of a liar. Lying for Mimsy was protecting her secrets, not his.
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:51 am
On the Lake:
Kostya leaned back, slowly sliding down his bench, until he was almost laying flat. He had settled on despair, it seemed, and covered his face with both hands. "Nyettttt," he quietly wailed, unable to contain himself. He launched into a tirade completely in his mother tongue, each sentence growing more and more quietly distraught.
He can't think of me in that manner. I am not capable of those emotions. Maybe I am capable, but not for him. I'd never want to do anything. I can't even handle holding hands.
Stopping short, Kostya peeked through his fingers at America. "He cannot," he said, almost imploringly, "cannot be feeling this way."
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:01 am
Cleaning Up:
"Moscow," Kostya replied without hesitation, his knife gliding into the flesh of a sea bass that had met his maker at the end of America's fishing line. "Never been. Russia quite large," he continued, and flashed a cheeky look at her, "much more than America."
He wrapped the finished fish in butcher paper, handing it to his partner in crime for packing into the ice chest-- before realising exactly where she was, and what she was doing.
And her state of undress.
The fish was set aside, in a growing pile. He was sure to forget again by the time the last fish was gutted, too.
"No interest in seeing any people. Miss food, miss language, miss veather. Small things to find as comfort, but do not have, just because culture."
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:36 am
On the Lake:
Deciding to avoid finding out if Taym was a crier, America turned on her phone and sent him the bad news while Kostya ranted in tongues or whatever. Then she checked prior messages.
"Oh..."
OH.
"Whaaaaaaat?" She murmured softly to her phone, glaring at it like the text may change via pure intimidation. Messaging back just to get her facts straight she was one part embarrassed as all hell but mostly just going back to the galling rejection-via-Kostya she'd gotten a few days prior. It was one thing, to have someone who's damn lucky they even get a how-do from her say they weren't interested...if they already had their sights elsewhere. And on someone of an entirely different gender at that. Thinking Taym was trying for Kostya's affections had be a right salve to her mildly offended ego.
But if that wasn't the case...she gave the phone a scrunched up look of indignation, which smoothed out to pleasant surprise.
"Ohhhhhhhh....!" A miscommunication. She leveled Kostya a flat look that he didn't notice and then went back to her phone. Damn right I'm off the charts, she thought as she read the reply. Things took a turn toward what America thought might even be flirting and she smiled, a bit surprised as a previous no way slipped into a warm maybe and...
Went straight back to no again.
"Jesus wept, unbecoming," America muttered exaggeratedly with a roll of her eyes, turning her phone again. "Thanks Aunt Prudie."
Tuning back just in time to catch Konstantin's pitiful state, she tried not to laugh or god forbid, hug the boy. With a small, chagrined smile, she reached up to scratch at her chin, "Well....about that. Seems you're right. It was all a big misunderstanding. You dropped a few important words a few days back, but that's Taym gets for making you play telephone, I mean really."
She paused and then, "But I am sorry, for ah...alarming you."
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:48 am
Cleaning Up:
The crack about size earned Kostya a dirty look, but the longer he went on the more thoughtful her gaze became. America has never been outside of the states, even Deus was pretty similar to what she was used to. The food was familiar, even if it wasn't great. The language was English, and if it was spoken in a large variety of accents, it was still English. The weather part she wasn't so sure on, wasn't Russian weather like clean snow and then dirty snow?
She thought about further as she soaped and rinsed and finally stepped out to perform the task of drying off her hair. America had thought she had a lot of hair to deal with prior to the island. Pandora had proven how wrong she'd been straight out of the box, but it was still a chore. Eventually she was dressed again, hair braided neatly behind her as she inspected Kostya's handiwork.
Casual as can be, she asked, "Can I come with?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:06 am
On the Lake:
Kostya pulled his hands down, although that didn't do him much good, as the collar of his shirt had been pulled up to cover his lower face. He pulled that down, too, and took in America's apology.
"Holy ********," he said, dropping an uncommon swear, "cannot say how much relief is being inside me." Slowly, he sat up, reassured. Talking to Obadiah would be extremely awkward, for a little while, but at least a little while was significantly shorter than forever.
"Am glad do not have to jump into vater. It has much...ah, green stuff," he said, referring to the algae just beneath the surface. "Apology is accept."
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Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 2:16 am
Cleaning Up:
"Have a Russian phrase book," he said, simply. "Vill find, to give." It had been for Mimsy, but things were different now. Their programming was different. She had cut him out with the intensity and razor focus of a blowtorch, and while he weathered the heat-- and would, for the rest of his days-- Kostya was starting to learn that she was not the only source of heat in his life.
America was a sun, in two ways; in the metaphorical sense, she was a blaze of endless energy and barely restrained chaos. He could appreciate this. He could afford to be content again.
Rep had told him there was a difference between existing and living, but Kostya didn't sort his life that way. There was being unfulfilled, and fulfilled. The latter state-- full of utility and resourcefulness-- lead to contentment. It was the closest Kostya got to happiness, and it was in his grasp. America was a good part of the reason as to why and--
There it was, again, the careful eyes staring at the top of his spine, creeping along his skin. The slow, long drag of awareness across his entire person, inside and out-- but there was no one behind him, even when he checked with a quickly thrown glance over the shoulder. Only the trees that surrounded the lake, and a singular bird, perched atop a branch.
Kostya shook his head to clear it. Sleep was so hard to get. He was bad at talking, at expressing himself, but he had to try.
"Are good company, America. Thank you, for showing me. To fish. Cabin of your uncle. Walmart. Can repay that to you, in your turn."
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